Medical librarian: a base profession to help health personnel and patients

Abstract

In most part of the industrialized world, the role of the medical librarian is widely recognized and appreciated as demonstrated by IFLA, that dedicated a section to the biomedical libraries, by MLA which both in USA and in the rest of the world is an important point of reference for people working in the health setting, and by EAHIL commitment to create a European net for biomedical libraries.
In Italy the reference institution for all librarians is AIB (Associazione Italiana Biblioteche), while AIDA, the Association for the Advanced Documentation, contributes to develop documentation diffusion and information science. The Ministry of Health also plays an important role in supporting the libraries of Biomedical Research Institutes (IRCCS).
The BDS Association (Bibliotecari Documentalisti della Sanità) was founded in 2000 with the purpose of highlight the specific activities performed by medical librarians for the scientific community and patients.
The article explains the results of a national survey made in 2002 that demonstrates the heterogeneity of arrangements for the personnel working in biomedical libraries. Moreover, the article wants to underline the aims, the duties (still not legally recognized) and the enforcement context for the profession of medical librarian.
The authors, therefore, propose the definition of a professional profile for all the medical librarians working in the National Health Service, underlying the necessary requirements to apply for it. Further, the Italian academic education system does not actually provide specific courses to become a medical librarian. Such courses should be aimed to train information specialists in the health setting and include specific subjects concerning health and biomedical research methodology.
The last part of the article explains the opportunity to apply the new profile of medical librarian to the personnel actually performing this role in biomedical libraries.